This invention relates to a process for the production of a substantially odorless and neutral-tasting, antioxidant spice extract and to the use of this extract.
It is known that certain spices, such as rosemary and sage, have a high content of antioxidants. Processes have already been developed in the prior art to free the spices from all those components which do not contribute to the antioxidant activity.
EP 38959 discloses a process for the production of antioxidant and antibacterial preservatives, in which the base material, such as rosemary, is extracted with a mixture of polar and non-polar solvents, for example ethanol and n-hexane, to obtain the ready-to-use spice extract. The disadvantage of this process is that it does not give a spice extract totally freed from its bitterness and all its odoriferous components.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,097 discloses a process for the production of an antioxidant from rosemary, in which the spice is extracted with a non-polar solvent, the extract is subjected to steam distillation and the residue thus obtained is extracted with an aqueous alkaline solution having a pH value of at least 10.5. The disadvantage of this process is that it does not enable all the antioxidant material to be extracted from the rosemary.